Steam-mangle.



(No Model.)

, Patented Nov' l2, 190]. J. W. CASPER 8. W. GERDER.

STEAM MANGLE.

(Application led Mar. 26, 1901.)

l 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Patented Nov. l2; |9ol.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. W. CASPER & W. GEBDER.

STEAM MANGLE.

(Application led Mar. 26, 1901.17

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(No Model.)

UNITED STATES y PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. CASFER AND WILLIAM GERDER, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

STEAM-MANGLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,385, dated November 12, 1901.

Application filed March 26, 1901. Serial No. 52,902. i (No model.)

To all whom it mctyconcern:

Be it known that we, JosEPH W. CASPER and WILLIAM GERDER, citizens of the United States, residing at Sacramento, county of Sacramento, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Steam-Mangles; and we hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relatesto an apparatus which is designed for ironing or mangling clothes.

It consists of the parts and the constructions and combinations of parts 'hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure lis a plan view of the mangle.. Fig. 2 is a front end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section. Fig. 4 is a detail of the feeding device. Fig. 5 is a section through a steam-chest on line :1: of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail showing a portion of the supporting periphery of the drum with its wire network of differing degrees of Iineness.

The cylinders or drums A are provided with annular bands A', having spokes or spiders A2 extending to a. central shaft 2, and the peripheral covering of said drums is composed first of a coarse wire network of sufficient rigidity suitably fixed to the interior supporting annular bands A and upon which network is stretched another finer network properly secured thereto. Over all this is a blanket or other suitable fibrous and elastic material a, which forms the surface upon which the material to be ironed is supported while being carried over the hot ironingsurfaces which are opposed to the cylinders, as will be hereinafter described. These cylinders are mounted upon shafts 2, and these shafts are journaled in the ends of the cross-bars 3 of T-shaped supports, which are fulcrumed, as at 4, while the vertical arms of the supports extend downwardly from the fulcrumpoint and have toothed racks 5 at the lower end, which engage with pinions 6, mounted upon the shaft 7, so that by turning the pinions the racks will, be moved in unison' and the cross -bars 3 of the T-shapedl supports with the cylinders will be tilted ,about the fulcrums 4. This will raise one cylinder and depress the other for the purpose of removing the blanket-surfaces from the hot ironing-surfaces to prevent scorching when not 1n use.

The pin-ions 6 may be rotated by any suitable or convenient means. In the present arrangement we have shown them as operated by a Worm-gear 8, the shaft of which has a hand-wheel 9 at the upper end within convenient reach of an operator, so that by turning the shaft and worm the gear with which the worm engages will be turned, and as it is mounted on the same shaft with the pinions 6 the latter will also be turned.

The casings or irons opposed to the drumsurfaces consist of iron segments having a length about equal to that of the drums and a curvature on the same radius with the peripheries of the drums. These segments 10 and 11 are so mounted that the curvature of one incloses the lower half of one of the drums and the curvature of the other incloses the upper half of the other drum, so that clothes or material to be ironed will be carried between the first cylinder and its casing for about a half-revolution of the cylinder and then transferred to the upper half of the other cylinder and its casing.

Between the two cylinders is whatis termed a guide-plate l2, the lower end of which is so hinged or attached that it is in line with the discharge endof the lower casing l0, and the upper edge of the guide rests against the surface of the second cylinder and beneath the receiving end of the casing 1l, so that goods emerging from the casing of the first cylinder will be directed by the guide 12 directly into the space between the second cylinder and its casing. There will be 11o danger of wrinkling, folding, or tearing the goods, because the edge of the guide is in the direction of travel of the goods. Endless tapes b, passing around the drums, assist in guiding, said tapes passing under one of the cylinders and between the same and the corresponding casing or iron and thence passes over the other cylinder and between the same and the other casing or iron and finally passes over said lastnamed casing and the first-named cylinder, as shown in Fig. 3.

In order to provide the proper heat for the ironing-surfaces of the casings, We form steam chests or boxes 13 at the ends of the casings, and between these steam-chests extend tubes 14. These tubes are fitted into the holes bored in the steam-chests, and the ends of the tubes IOO are secured by screw-plugs 15, fitting corresponding threads in the interior of the tubes and having flanges upon the outer ends which may be screwed up against the outside of the steam-chest, thus forming tight joints therewith. Any suitable means for inserting and removing these plugs may be employed, such as a central square socket for a wrench, or the flanges of the plugs may be made polygonal to receive the similarly-shaped wrench. The tubes are perforated, as shown at 16, in line with surrounding channels 17 in the steam chests or boxes, so that steam admitted at one end-say at s, Fig. 1into the live steam chest will pass through the holes 16 into the interior of the tubes 14 and, passing through the tubes, will be discharged through like passages and chests at the opposite end--say at t-thus providing for a constant flow of steam of any degree of heat that may be found necessaryordesirable. Thisservestoconstantly heat the smooth metal surface of the interior of the casings 10 and 1l, and the goods to be ironed, carried by the blanket-surface of the revolving cylinders,lare first caused to move over the ironing-surface of the first casing, which thus irons one side of the goods, and passing thence up over the second cylinder the other surface is presented to the second casing, so that both sides are ironed in asingle operation and the goods discharged at the outer side of the second cylinder.

The moisture in the clothes to be ironed continually passes through the blanket and screen surfaces, and if not prevented would pass across the cylinders and deposit upon the opposite sides, thus forming a condensed body of moisture which will continuously drip and prevent the proper action of the ironing apparatus. In order to overcome this difculty, we divide our cylinders by longitudinal partitions or diaphragms, as at 18, extending radially from the axis to the periphery. Thus while the cylinder is turning so that either of these quadrants or sections is passing through the heated casing any steam or vapor forced through to the interior of the cylinder may be discharged from the particular section in which it is and not be allowed to pass across to the opposite side of the cylinder, where it might condense.

In order to feed the clothes and deliver them smoothly between the first cylinder and its casing, we employ a feed-table, as at 19, suitably located With relation to the cylinder. In the present case we have shown it as supported upon frames, as 20, which are pivotally mounted in the frame of the machine by means of the shaft 2l, and these frames carrya roller 22, the journal-boxes of which are slidable in guide-slots in the frame, one at each end, and are acted upon by springs 23, which hold the drum 22 yieldingly against the first ironingcylinder of the apparatus. Above the drum 22 is a drum 24, the shaft of which is journaled in hinged arms 25, so that it may freely move with relation to the drum 22, upon which it normally presses, and between these two drums the goods passing from the table 19 are delivered first between the drums 22 and 24 and next between the drum 22 and the drum A. A plate 26 is so disposed with relation to thesedrums as to prevent the goods adhering to the drum 22 and being returned beneath the dru m, so as to be wrinkled or torn. Tapes pass around the drum 22 and around rollers, as at 27, which rollers are so j ournaled with relation to a slot or opening in the plate 26 that the tapes lead away from the drum 22 around these rollers 27, thence backwardly beneath the drum 22, and returning upon its under surface. The direction of the tapes is thus such that the goods are disengaged from the roller 22, to which they might otherwise adhere, and the edge of the goods following the tapes and the plate 26 will be delivered between the periphery of the first drum A and the ironing-surface 10, after which the friction of the blanket or other brous surface upon the drum A will carry the goods smoothly through the space between the drum and its opposingsegmentalironing-face. The frames 2O being fulcrumed, as before described, upon the frame of the machine by means of the shaft 2l, are adjusted to bring the drum 22 more or less closely to the ironing-drum A by means of a toothed pinion 28, fixed upon the pivoted shaft 2l, and a screw or worm 29 which engages it,'and is operated by a handwheel or other suitable attachment 30. By`

turning this hand-wheel and screw the pinion will be turned and the frames 2O and the parts carried by them will be tilted as desired. This adjustment brings the drum 22 in proper relation with the ironing-drum A, and the elasticity of the jou rnal-boX springs 23 allows a sufflcientautomatic adjustment of the drum 22 to accommodate the varying thicknesses of goods which are to be passed between the drums. The tilting device also removes the table and feed mechanism from the cylinder A, so that the tapes may be easily removed and replaced, and the feed mechanism is also out of the way when the blanket is to be run on or o of the cylinder A.

Power to operate the `machine may be communicated to any well-known or appropriate mechanism, the one herein shown including a pulley 4 on the shaft 4 and a series of intermeshing gear-wheels on the cylinder-sh afts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus deseribed'our invention, what we claim as new,l and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a mangle the combination of oppositely-revoluble drums and semi-inclosing heated casings upon opposite sides of the drums, centrally-fulcrumed frames in the outer ends of which the shafts of the drums are journaled, said frames having a lever eX- tension, and means engaging said extension and by which said frames may be tilted so as tomove the drums simultaneously with relation to their casings.

IIO

2. In a mangle the combination of oppositely-revoluble hollow drums having interior diaphragme forming separate compartments, centrally-pivoted frames in which the journal-shafts of the drums are carried, segmental casin gs inclosing opposite sides of the drums, means for heating said casings, connections with the pivoted frames including toothed racks on said pivoted frames and gearing engaging said racks whereby said frames may be tilted to cause the drums to approach or recede from their casings simultaneously.

3. In a mangle, the oppositely-revoluble hollow compartment-drums having the periphery composed of rigid meshes and a permeable outer covering, and the heated segmental casings, partially inclosing opposite sides of the drums, T-shaped frames centrally pivoted in main frames at the ends of the apparatus, journal-boxes in said T-shaped frames in which the drum-shafts are turnable, racks formed upon the vertical bars of the T- shaped frames, pinions mounted upon a shaft and engaging said racks7 and means for turning the pinion-shaft and moving the racks, said T-shaped frames being adapted to adjust the position of the drums simultaneously with relation to the casings.

4. In a mangle the combination of revoluble drums, having the periphery composed of rigid foraminous material and a permeable outer covering, said drums having,` also, internal diaphragme forming separate compartments, a concaved segmental casing within which each drum is turnable, said casings having smooth interior ironing-surfaces, said casings inclosing parallel steam-pi pes extending from end to end within the casings, steam chests or boxes with which the ends of the pipes are connected, one of said boxes being connected with a source of steam-supply, and the other with an outlet-passage.

5. In a man gle, the concaved casing having an interior ironing-surface, parallel tubes extending from end to end through the casing,

v hollow segmental steam-boxes having apan interior ironing-surface, parallel tubes extending through said casing, channeled steam-boxes at the ends of the casing into which the tubes enter, said tubes having holes coincident with the channels for the admission and discharge of steam, and screw-plugs fitting the interior of the tube ends having ianges orv heads which screw up against the outside of the steam-boxes to lock the parts in position.

7. The combination in a mangle of the drum and casing, and feeding devices consisting of a pivoted feed-table, a revoluble roll to receive the goods therefrom, said roll coming in contact with the ironing-drum, and a supplemental pressure-roll contacting therewith.

8. In an ironing-machine, the combination with a series of horizontal revoluble drums, and concaved ironing surfaces adjacent thereto, of a means by which the article to be ironed is fed to said drums, said means including a pivoted table, a revoluble roll over which the material passes from the table, a slotted frame in which the journal-boxes of the roll are carried, and springs pressing against said boxes whereby the roll is adjustably held in contact with the ironing-drum.

9. In an ironing-machine, the combination with a series of horizontal revoluble drums, andV concaved ironing surfaces adjacent thereto, of a means by which the article to be ironed is fed to said drums,v said means including a pivoted table, rolls between which 4the material passes from the table, and by which it is delivered between the drum and the casing, endless tapes passing around the roll, and supplemental guide-rolls, and an apron in conjunction therewith bywhich the material is prevented from returning around the roll. 10. The combination in a mangle of a revoluble foraminous drum with blanket-covered surface, a heated concave within which the drum revolves, a feed-table and a springpressed roller carried thereby, an adjustable roller between which and the first named, the goods pass from the table, and thence between said rst-named roller and the main ironing-drum, guide-rollers journaled beneath the first roller and adjacent to the main drum, tapes passing around the feed and guide rolls to detach the material, and a plate or apron to direct the material between the drum and the concave.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

JOSEPH W. CASPER. WILLIAM GERDER.

Witnesses:

CEAS. A. BLISS, A. E. GRIGSBY.

Ioo 

